Tokyo to host 2020 Summer Olympics

5:54 PM,
Sep. 7, 2013

Japanese Olympians, front row from left, Hiromi Miyake, Yoshiyuki Miyake, Saori Yoshida, Ai Shibata, and Junichi Miyashita celebrate with Tokyo Municipal Government officials in Tokyo. after the city was awarded the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Written by

Kelly Whiteside
Gannett

BUENOS AIRES - In a climate of political and economic uncertainty, following a bit of risk-taking by awarding Games to Sochi and Rio de Janiero, the International Olympic Committee opted for a "safe pair of hands" by selecting Tokyo to host the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Tokyo breezed past Istanbul, 60-36, in the final round of voting. The Japanese city was the favorite from the start, earning the most votes in the initial round with 42. With 26 votes each, Madrid and Istanbul went to a tiebreaker and Madrid was eliminated by four votes.

"Tokyo can be trusted to be the safe pair of hands and much more," ...